Happy Fortune
by Sonny Bunny
Summary: AU. Aang accidentally sends himself, Katara, and Sokka to the future through the Avatar State and they find themselves at the point where the war has ended. And Katara is dying to know one thing: Who is the powerful bender spoken of in Aunt Wu's fortune?
1. Times of Peace

**A/N: Hey, Sonny Bunny here! ;) I'm just uploading some of my old works...well they're not that _old_ but I wrote them before I ever had a fanfic account, I just kept forgetting to post them! Yep, ATLA was the first fandom I wrote for! I'm also known as NoaangFan and FateBender on Avatar forums. I first posted this on Kataang Forever :) Just trying to get all my works together. Hope you guys enjoy this! I'll be posting the other parts to this story.**

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

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Sokka got up from the ground with dirt smudged on random parts of his face. He went to help this sister off the ground. Katara brushed the soil off her clothes and then noticed Aang lying face down on the ground, unconscious. She rushed to his side, kneeling before him, shaking his shoulder.

"Aang! Aang, are you okay?" she cried out as she tried to wake him.

Aang coughed, creating a puff of dust. He continued coughing as the dirt particles entered his mouth. Katara helped him into a kneeling position, while she gentle nudged his back. Aang's coughing began to slow down; he looked at Katara and Sokka with shame in his eyes.

"I'm sorry guys," he said weakly, as he hung his head.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault you went into the Avatar State," said Sokka. "It's that idiot Fong's fault! Speaking of Fong, where is that idiot?" He said looking around at their surroundings.

"What...what happened?" said Aang looking at Katara. "Last thing I remember Fong, he...he," Aang blinked his eyes trying to hold back tears,"..._buried you_."

"I was trying to reach you to calm you down, then Sokka came up behind me trying to get pass the vortex of wind also," said Katara. "And the next thing I know, we're waking up here."

"Um...guys?" Sokka said, his voice sounding unsure.

Katara looked up at her brother from the ground. "What is it Sokka?"

"Is it just me or does this not look like the Earth Kingdom base at all?" Sokka said.

Katara's eyes darted back and forth as she looked at their surroundings. "This place looks like the Earth Kingdom, but it isn't the base. Where...where are we?"

The gang got up and started walking around this strange new vast area of great structures made of earth. A group of people ran pass them laughing and smiling, then they came upon a clearing where they saw what looked to be a pile of fire nation military tanks stacked up on one another; kids were nearby kicking a ball back and forth using their earthbending.

"Well, this place seems..._different_," said Sokka.

"They seem so..._happy_," Katara whispered in disbelief.

Sokka shouted out at a man passing by humming. "Hey Sir! We're lost, can you tell us where we are?"

"Where are you?" said the man. "Why you're in Ba Sing Se!"

Aang and Katara gasped. "BA SAY WHAT?" Sokka choked out.

"Ba Sing Se," repeated the man, then his eyes widened upon looking at Aang. "Why...you're Avatar Aang!"

Aang nervously looked down. "Um...yeah."

"Please, let me thank you for ending this war and defeating the fire lord," said the man. "The joy you have brought us all, I could never thank you enough!"

Aang's head jerked up, his eyes bulging out. "I...WHAT?"

Katara stood in front of Aang, glaring at the man. "Don't make fun of him! He's trying the best he can to learn all the elements! He will end the war!"

The man's eyes squinted in confusion. "Make fun of?" he said. "I don't know what I said wrong, but truly thank you Avatar Aang," he said before walking off.

Katara crossed her arms and huffed. "_Jerk_."

"I don't know," said Sokka rubbing his chin," that guy almost sounded...genuine."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Sokka, that's impossible. Everyone knows the war is still going on."

"Unless," said Sokka his eyes gradually getting wider," this is the _future_."

"Sokka, have you been drinking ocean water?" said Katara.

"What...what do you mean?" said Aang feebly, feeling weak and crushed from the whole ordeal.

"Think about it! We wake up in Ba Sing Se having no idea how we got there. Then there's a guy thanking Aang for ending the war and everybody's happy around here! We were near Aang when he was in the Avatar State! The Avatar can travel to the spirit world," said Sokka making wild hand gestures," then who is to say he can't travel across timelines!"

"Avatar Roku never said anything about that," said Aang.

Sokka shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it's a new development, _evolution_ of the Avatar."

"This is all _ridiculous_," said Katara.

"I'll prove it!" exclaimed Sokka, then he walked up to one of the kids playing ball. "Hey kid, you might know me, Sokka friend of Avatar Aang."

The kid's eyes popped out in wonderment. "Of course I know who you are!"

Sokka smirked in Katara's direction. "I thought you would. I bet you even know where I'm staying at."

"Of course, everyone knows Avatar Aang and his friends are staying in a place above the Jasmine Dragon."

"And where might that be?" asked Sokka.

"Straight ahead, the upper ring, it's a huge green tea house," answered the kid.

Sokka patted the kid's head. "That's a good fan, now go play with your ball."

Sokka walked back to where Aang and Katara were standing, then he got up in Katara's face, and with one deep breath. "HA!"

"That still doesn't prove anything!" retorted Katara.

* * *

Aang, Katara, and Sokka crouched together behind a bush, peeking over and gapping at what they saw before them; a boy clothed in air nomad robes wearing an air nomad necklace around his neck. His airbender tattoos peeked through his sleeves as he leaned farther into the terrace's railing.

Aang blinded several times as he tried to fight back the overwhelming urge to faint. "Is...is that _me_?" he whispered flabbergasted as he hunched next to Katara.

"Does that _prove_ anything?" Sokka whispered loudly.

Katara's astonished expression quickly turned into a scowl as she shoved Sokka, which in turn caused them all to topple forward making a loud thump, gathering the boy's attention to them. The boy clothed in air nomad robes stood gapping at them, stunned to his core.

Sokka looked at the boy in his upside-down view. "Um...what's up...um...**Aang**?"

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**Please review! I hope you have a Sonny day...filled with much Kataang!**


	2. Uncertain Future

**A/N: Just to answer some questions: Sorry, no this isn't Zutara. This is an old work of mine, it's already basically finished, I'm just finally posting it onto my fanfic account and I'm posting them in chapters...it's a very long story. Thank you for the reviews! :)**

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**Uncertain Future**

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"They're from the future," **Sokka** concluded.

"That is ridiculous," said **Katara**.

"That's what I told him!" exclaimed Katara.

"And yet here we are sitting in a tea house talking to our future selves!" retorted Sokka.

"What my younger self said about the Avatar traveling through time does make sense."

"Of course you would think he makes sense, because he is you!" said **Katara**.

**Sokka** pointed his finger a couple of inches from his sister's nose. "HA! So you admit they are our past selves!"

**Katara** bit her lip. "I have to admit, they did answer all our questions right. Ones that only we would know."

Zuko entered the tea shop at that moment, his face pale as he kept glancing behind his shoulder, then he took notice to everyone in the room and stumbled back in his footing. "When I got your hawk with a message saying you think your past selves somehow traveled to the future. Let's just say, I _really_ didn't believe you. But after running into **Aang** and Aang out there, I'm reconsidering."

Sokka and Katara swiftly got up from where they were sitting in red alert; Sokka took out his boomerang and Katara bended water from her pouch ready to attack.

"I can't believe you! The war is over and you're _still_ trying to capture Aang!" Sokka yelled.

**Sokka** looked back and forth between his and his sister's past selves and Zuko. "Oh, yeah I kind of forgot we didn't always get along."

**Katara** got between them waving her hands trying to catch their attention. "STOP! Zuko is our friend now, he helped us stop the war. He was Aang's firebender teacher and...he...he saved my life."

Katara let down on her waterbending as her eyes soften from their harden state. "He did?" she said in disbelief. "But...but he's been relentlessly hunting us down, he taunted me with my own necklace, and he kidnapped Aang from the spirit oasis!"

Zuko's shoulders slumped forward. "Yeah, I'm not _proud_ of that."

"You know, I think I was wrong," said Sokka getting a tighter grip on his boomerang. "We're not in the future, we're in some twisted evil universe where we _like _Zuko! WE MUST BE EVIL TOO! ATTACK THE EVIL COUNTERPARTS!"

* * *

Meanwhile Aang and **Aang** were out on the terrace talking.

Aang couldn't stop looking at himself. He didn't look that much different, he was wearing different clothes, and a necklace that reminded him of monk Gyatso's. And he seemed to have grown a couple of inches, he only hoped that wasn't the end of his growth spurt. But the thing Aang noticed the most about himself was the maturity in his eyes; maturity he hadn't seen in his own eyes the last time he looked into a mirror. What he saw in his older self's eyes showed him what he would come to see and experience; it send a chill of apprehension down his spine.

"So we...so you are friends with Zuko now?" Aang said.

**Aang** had explained a little about their changed status when Zuko walked up to them earlier.

**Aang **smiled. "Yeah, we are."

Aang smiled back. "I guess we did end up as friends, just like Kuzon and me!" **Aang** let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" asked Aang.

"Fire nation, headband, secret dance party...it's a long story," said **Aang**. "You'll find out for yourself."

"Well...that sounds fun," said Aang, he looked out over the railing of the terrace and sighed. "I can't believe it, it's _finally_ over."

"It's not over for _you_ yet," said **Aang**. "It's not going to be easy and it's going to seem everlasting and rushed at the same time. But hey look at me, I'm still alive, so you know you can do it."

"How...how exactly did I defeat the firelord? Is...is he," he gulped," _dead_?"

"We both know, that we would never kill anyone."

"Then..._how_?"

"I...I don't think I should tell you," said **Aang**. "It could make things better, or way, way _worst_."

Aang understood, even though he had an overwhelming urge to know. But there was a question he wanted to know the answer to even more. He just had to ask it, it was like frighten child clawing their way up a steep cliff needing to reach the top. ""Did...did I...you...we...," he sighed," Did you tell Katara you like her?"

His heart pounded against his aching chest, as his older self stared back at him in silence.

Aang crossed his arms laying them on the railing of the terrace as he looked out at the scenery. "I don't think _tell_ would be the right word to use."

Aang's face scrunched up in confusion as he listened.

"But..._yes_, I did."

The child felt the fresh patch of grass on the top of the cliff.

"Does...does Katara like me back?"

Aang rested his head into the folds of his sleeves, his eyes unfocused. "_I...I don't know_," he whispered.

And with those words the child lost his grip and fell into the abyss below.

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**Please review! :)**


	3. The Fortune

**A/N: Don't have time to post the other parts right now, but I will be uploading them soon!**

**DC: I do not own Avatar:****the Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**The Fortune**

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Katara followed her older self into her room above the Jasmine Dragon. She could hardly believe that she was in the future and all the changes that had taken place. For one Zuko was their friend now, and they seemed to get along well with him, apparently he was the new fire lord, and he had saved her life; who would have thought? Azula was in some mental institution, thank goodness. Sokka was now dating Suki, though she still didn't understand what Suki saw in her brother. Her dad was safe and him, her, and Sokka were a family again! And Aang—Aang had done it, he had learned all the elements and ended the war—he had survived.

Katara sat down on the edge of the bed, while her older self sat down on the chair to her vanity dresser; they stared at each other not knowing what to say first.

Katara broke the silence, "I don't believe it, _we won_," she paused."Aang did it...the war is over."

**Katara** stared down at the wooden floor. "Yeah, he did," she sighed, "I was so afraid he wasn't going to make it."

Katara bit her lip. "Was it a close call?"

**Katara** looked up. "I don't really know, it looked like it from where I was."

"Oh," said Katara being lost for words. "I like your hair," she blurted out. "I've been thinking of changing my hairstyle."

Toph suddenly appeared in the doorway, she seemed to be waiting for something.

"Hey Toph," said **Katara**.

"Toph?" repeated Katara in confusion.

"Oh, great it's true, _two _Sugarqueens," said Toph.

"Who are you?" asked Katara, confused at who this person was and what Sugarqueen meant.

"This is Toph, our friend," said **Katara**. "She was Aang's earthbending teacher."

"What do you mean _was_? I'm still teaching Twinkletoes a thing or two, he's still a limp noodle! He still doesn't know how to metalbend."

"There's no such thing as metalbending," said Katara.

"Says you," retorted Toph before she turned to leave.

"You get use to her...kind of," said **Katara **once Toph was out of hearing distance.

"Twinkletoes?" Katara said aloud in wonder.

"It's Toph's nickname for Aang."

"Are they...together?" asked Katara in curiosity.

"NO!" said **Katara** much louder than she intended, her younger self stared back at her unprepared for the outburst. **Katara** felt a blush reach her cheeks; she whirled around in her chair to face her vanity dresser. "I...I...mean no, they're not together," she stuttered as she played with a strand of her hair. "They _better_ not be together," she grumbled under her breath.

Katara didn't understand why her older self was suddenly acting strange. Then a thought hit her, she was it the future, until now she could only wonder about the future, but now she could know. Katara knew the question she had been dying to know the answer to for some time. Little did she know, that she had just picked the worst time _imaginable_ to ask her older self this question.

"So?" said Katara, with an overwhelming sense of giddiness overtaking her.

"So?" said **Katara**, not sure where her younger self was going with this.

"Come on you're me! Well, an older me, but still me, you must know what I'm thinking!"

**Katara **glanced at her younger self through the mirror of her vanity dresser, and her eyes widened. _Oh, no_. She knew what that dreamy look meant. "You know, I think I do," Katara half smiled, half winced not looking pleased with the turn the subject was taking.

"So? Was Aunt Wu right? Have you...met _him _yet? Is he a very powerful bender?" Katara said getting impatient.

**Katara** let out a nervous chuckle, "Oh yeah, he's _definitely_ a powerful bender." She started fiddling with her necklace. "And now I understand why Aunt Wu didn't _specify_ what kind of bending he was powerful in," she mumbled under her breath.

"What? I didn't catch that last part?" said Katara.

**Katara **suddenly whirled around in her chair to face her younger self. "But do I like him...in _that _way?" Katara starting talking to herself, while also _literally_ talking to herself. "Is it _him_?" She got up and started pacing, then she turned to look at her younger self in the eyes. "Do I _want_ it to be him?" She turned and started pacing again. "I...I...don't know! I mean...maybe...I don't want to lead him on if I'm not sure! What if he changes his mind? Do I like him..._why_ is that so hard to answer? Am I thinking about it too much? He is nice...and cute...and that kiss..."

"_We kissed_! I can't believe it, my first kiss!" squealed Katara interrupting her older self's ramblings.

**Katara **halted in her tracks, her cerulean eyes wide with realization. "_He was my first kiss_."

Katara bit her lip, getting all dreamy-like again. "Tell me," she said, "what was it like?"

**Katara** sat down at the edge of her bed next to her younger self, she looked down at her clasped hands in her lap. "Well, it was nice, and _unexpected_," she couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips. She sighed, "his lips were soft...and warm...he smelt like fresh cut grass, I could feel his hand slightly shaking as he held onto my shoulder...it made me feel lightheaded...like I was flying..._wonderful_...what do you think about Aang?" she blurted out of nowhere.

"Aang?" Katara repeated taken off guard. "Why are asking me that? I thought we were talking about our first kiss! You know what I think of Aang, you are me."

**Katara **leapt up, with her hands in the air. "No, I don't know what I'm thinking! I mean I use to, but now, I feel like I don't know anything!" she turned to leave the room, but paused in the doorway. "And am I _really_ that oblivious?" she yelled, then went off somewhere else.

Katara blinked in confusion, as she sat on the bed alone.

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**Please review! :) **


	4. Three Questions

**A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews, it brings me happiness that you enjoyed it! :) Oh, hey EpicBacons! Yeah, the alternated scenes for this story are still on my to write list...you know what I mean. Anyway thanks guys, here's some more chapters.**

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**Three Questions**

* * *

Katara walked outside, hoping the fresh air would help her unriddle the conversation she had just had with her future self ten minutes ago. She spotted Aang sitting on a stone bench alone, his back to her, he seemed to be the Aang from her time. She sighed in relief; all this future stuff was confusing her.

Aang turned at the sound of her sigh, he blushed upon seeing her. "Oh...hey Katara."

"Hey, Aang," she said. "Mind if sit with you?"

Aang shook his head. "No," he said scooting over to make room on the bench.

Katara sat down next to Aang in silence, until Aang cleared his throat.

"So...um...," he seemed lost for words, "So how was your talk...with yourself?"

Katara sighed. "Wonderful and confusing," she paused, looking as if she wanted to say more but wasn't sure. "Oh, I have to tell _someone_!" she exclaimed, then turned to Aang. "Aang, do you remember Aunt Wu the fortuneteller?"

"Yes, I _remember_."

"Well, when she told me my fortune, she told me I would marry a very powerful bender and it came true! Well, not the marrying part yet, but I'm pretty sure my future self has met him already!" she said glowing in happiness.

"Oh...that's..._great_, Katara." Aang looked like it was anything but great.

"She said that they kissed already too!"

Aang felt his insides crush and twist from the massacre of heartbreak running rampage throughout his bodyas he stared at Katara glowing over her happy fortune. He felt like it was the end of world, even though he knew he would save it. Because it was the end of his world without Katara. He had naively held onto a thread of hope, that he was the powerful bender in her fortune. Aunt Wu had said he had the power to reshape his destiny. Well, he _obviously _hadn't done a good job at that! Aang shoulders slumped forward. He had _obviously_ told her...but in the end she just didn't want _him_.

Aang sighed, "Yeah...that's _great _Katara."

* * *

**Katara **stood against the wall, a wallflower at the Earth Kingdom palace where they had all been invited (including their past selves) to celebrate the end of the war with food and dancing. She looked down and sighed. She was anything but joyous, she should be with the war over, but now it just felt empty without...someone. Aang was right now across the room at the punch bowl with his past self. And her past self? She was right next to her asking her questions!

"Is _he _here?" asked Katara, trying to look past all the dancing couples. "I can't wait to see him! Is he from the earth kingdom?"

**Aang** just happened to glance up as **Katara **was staring at him from across the room. Their eyes met, Aang blushed and quickly looked away; but not quick enough, as Katara saw pain and confusion in his eyes. She hated herself in that moment for making him feel that way, and she was just about on her last nerve with her past self who wouldn't _stop _asking questions! Katara huffed, and made her way through the crowd onto the balcony where she could be alone—and of course, her past self followed her there! Talk about a new meaning to, "You can't outrun your past."

"Why are we going out here?" asked Katara. "Are you meeting him out—"

"_Shut up_!" **Katara **yelled at herself, ragged breathes escaping her mouth. "Geez, was I this...this lovesick-loopy when I found out about that fortune? And around Aang...you don't even know, do you? I'm...I'm an _idiot_! Look, I know you want to know more about this _guy_. But right now, I'm this close to joining Azula to wherever they took her because I can't figure out my feelings for this guy and it's driving me _crazy_! And you're not helping with your _endless_ questioning!"

That seemed to put her younger self into a state of shock, long enough for her to run off somewhere else to think.

* * *

**Aang **walked out onto the balcony feeling he needed a breath of fresh air; it seemed everyone wanted to talk to the Avatar or just stand really close to him! He found the younger Katara leaning against the railing looking miserable.

"Katara?' he said drawing her attention. "Is something wrong?"

"No...I mean...yes," she sighed. "My older self got mad at me," she paused. "Nearly bit my head off. I don't understand I was only asking if the guy in Aunt Wu fortune was coming tonight."

**Aang **stumbled back a step. Katara had already met the powerful bender in Aunt Wu fortune? Well, that would explain her confusion at the fire nation theatre. Aang sighed. Well, he guessed that answered his question. They weren't together, because she was with someone else, or at least hoping to be.

**Aang **walked over to the younger Katara, he couldn't stand her looking this way. "Come here," he said opening his arms, she did and he hugged her. "It will be okay," he said, as he inhaled the aroma that seemed to surround her and felt the warmth and comfort of her body against the chillness of the night. _Darn_, him and his compassionate nature!

Aang looked around, trying to spot where his future self went off to; now that his future self was gone, people were hounding him now! Aang walked out onto the balcony to escape the crowd, he didn't expect to find his future self hugging the younger Katara at all. **Aang **spotted him over Katara's shoulder.

"Hey," said **Aang** pulling away from the hug.

"Um...hey?" said Aang not sure what was going on.

"Hi, Aang," said Katara sniffing her nose.

"Katara, what's wrong?" asked Aang.

"Well, you remember how I told you about that bender and Aunt Wu," said Katara. "Well, my future self seems to be confused about her feelings for him or something. She got mad at me."

"She is?" said **Aang** surprised. He paused deep in thought, then turned to his younger self. "Why don't you go find her, I think she might feel more comfortable talking to you than me."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Aang. "_I am you_."

"We share some _history_," said **Aang** with downcast eyes. "That you two don't share yet."

Aang looked confused. Could it be possible his future self meant the confession of that he liked Katara. Katara looked on at both Aangs with a concerned expression. Aang turned to leave.

"I'll try my best," said Aang.

* * *

It didn't take Aang long to find the future Katara. She was in another part of the Earth Kingdom Palace, that seemed to be deserted, he found her leaning against a wall looking even more miserable then her past self. Aang took a deep breath. Man, this was going to be awkward considering she knew he liked her.

"Hey Katara," said Aang leaning against the wall next to her.

**Katara **gasped, startled out of her thoughts by his voice. She breathed a sigh of relief that at least this was the past Aang. She put a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey Aang," she said feebly.

Aang kicked an invisible pebble on the ground. "So...?" he said awkwardly.

**Katara **couldn't help herself she giggled. She hadn't realized until this moment how much she had missed Aang's goofiness, since she started avoiding him. "So?"

"Katara, she told me...how you're feeling uncertain about this guy, she thinks is the powerful bender in Aunt Wu's fortune."

"She did?" **Katara** squealed turning beet red.

"Do you like him?" asked Aang.

**Katara **stared at him, not expecting him to question her. Well, this was awkward, he had no idea he was asking a question about himself. Katara pondered over his question. Did she like him? She liked his goofiness and child-like wonder at life. Yet when she looked into his eyes, she saw maturity and wisdom beyond his years; she knew there was this passion and loyalty in him that would never die.

"I...I do," she said surprised how easily it came to her.

"Does he treat you well?" Aang continued his questioning.

Aang always treated her well. He viewed her as his equal and never has someone inferior. He was always doing thoughtful things, like that handmade necklace. He tried to be there for her and cheer her up—he was doing it now.

"Yes, he does."

"Does he make you happy?"

**Katara **turned to look at Aang. He was leaning against the wall, biting his lip, his eyes on the ground. Her heart answered for her.

She smiled, "Yes...yes he does."

Aang looked up to see **Katara** smiling at him, his heart cringed at the evidence in her eyes, that this guy did indeed make her happy. It took every fiber in his being, to say the next words that would send him to his grave. "Then..._I think you should be with him_."

**Katara **then asked him a question he wasn't expecting. "Hey Aang? What...did Aunt Wu tell you your fortune was? Was there any..._love_?"

Aang stared down at the ground, a decent blush forming on his cheeks, he shook his head. "No...she tried to make me feel better by pretending there was, but..." he looked up at Katara as if in a trance for a moment, then he kicked up some dirt,"..._there wasn't_."

"You know, I think my brother was right for once."

"About what?" said Aang weakly.

"That Aunt Wu isn't _always _right," she said. Aang looked up at her in surprise. "Come with me," she said.

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**Please review! Like this chapter? :)**


	5. The Powerful Bender

**A/N: ::sigh:: The document manager annoys me sometimes, it deletes the spaces between words sometimes...oh well. This isn't the end of the story just so ya know, I'll be posting more later on.**

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**The Powerful Bender**

* * *

Aang and **Katara** walked out onto the balcony, where they found the older Aang and younger Katara staring out over the railing, they turned upon hearing them.

**Katara** looked down blushing as her eyes met **Aang's** again. She took a deep breath, and walked up to him. The younger Aang stood to the side beside the younger Katara, as they watched on.

"Aang, I'm sorry about what I said at the fire nation theatre."

"It's okay Katara, I...," his voice strained, "..._I understand_."

"No, I don't think you understand. I don't think I fully understood until a couple of minutes ago when I talked with Aang here," she turned to give him a quick smile. "He asked me a couple of questions about this guy I'm destined to be with and the last one he asked was—does he make you happy? I think I was scared of how strongly you...made me feel, even if I didn't realize it at the time. I hadn't truly laughed since my mom died, but you made me laugh again. And I've come to realize I really _want_ that. So does he make me happy?"

**Katara** threw her arms around **Aang** holding him close. "Yes...you do make me happy, Aang."

They pulled away from the hug still holding hands. "You make me happy too Katara," **Aang** said smiling. "So...does this mean what I think it means?"

**Katara **smiled at him, she traced a finger lightly down his arrow on his forehead. She then dipped her head forward, until then lips meet in a gentle, tender kiss. "Yes, it does," she said pulling away. Aang stared back at her dazed.

Their past selves stared on. Katara kept gapping at them while her eyes kept getting wider. Aang blinked several times, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. They just happened to glance at each other at the same time, they both quickly looked away the blush on their faces building rapidly.

**Katara** tugged on **Aang's** hand. "Come on," she gave him a wink "I know you're a great dancer."

* * *

Katara didn't know what to think or where to look. She was still frozen in shock on the balcony standing next to the equally shocked Aang.

_Aang...Aang?_ He was the powerful bender in her fortune? All this time they had been talking about..._oh my gosh she had kissed Aang_! And she had done it _again_ in front of her and Aang! What was Aang thinking? Did he like her in that way, like _right_ now? She had to get away from him, it just felt too awkward. Katara fled back into the ballroom, with every intention of walking back to the Jasmine Dragon in her dress and heels, then something stopped her in her tracks—the image of Aang and Katara dancing.

**Aang** held **Katara** close, his arm snuggled around her waist, it sent a message to the rest of the room, "Yeah, this is my forever girl...so back off!" He looked into her eyes, as if she was the only breathing thing in the room. Her eyes lit up with every step they took together; it was as if they were meant to be each other's dance partner—life partner. Aang moved his feet like it was second nature to him, just like airbending. And with a dip, the whole room erupted with applause.

Katara took one final glance and saw Aang watching them from across the room. She left, she was too afraid to see what was in his eyes, but what she would have found is—longing.

* * *

Aang sighed for the third time that day, it had been two days since the celebration dance and Katara was still avoiding him...or maybe it was _him _avoiding her? He did have an overwhelming urge to go the opposite direction every time he saw her—case in point, they were avoiding each other. He was so confused, it should have been easy knowing that they're a couple in the future, but it _wasn't_, it seemed to have complicated things.

Before Aang really realized it, he had walked into Katara's room, probably because she was on his mind. The future Katara stared back at him through her mirror as she combed her hair; luckily her past self didn't seem to be in the room.

"Yes?" said **Katara**. "Do you need something Aang?"

Aang blushed and started stuttering, "Um...I'm sorry...I...I don't even know why I came in here."

Before he turned to leave **Katara** stopped him. "Aang, wait!" She took a black and white flower from a vase sitting on her vanity dresser. "Here," she said handing him the panda lily, "give this to her."

At that moment **Aang's** head popped in the doorway. "Hi...are you ready for our date?" he asked blushing. He noticed his younger self was in the room. "Oh hey...me? I mean Aang?"

"Yes, I'm ready," **Katara** said beaming at him. "She's out on the terrace," she whispered to Aang before she left.

* * *

**Aang** and **Katara** walked out of the Jasmine Dragon hand in hand, they walked by Katara who was sitting on a stone bench looking deep in thought. Katara glanced up at them as they passed, she blushed and looked on in wonder. Sokka was walking up the steps as they were going down.

"Where you guys off to?" Sokka asked.

"On a date," they said in unison.

"Oh, well have fun on your date." Sokka continued going up the steps and then his eyes went wide, he turned to look back at them and ended up missing a step and fell onto the landing then he screamed, "WHAT?"

* * *

**Please review! :D Hope you guys have a Sonny day!**


	6. Pet Names and Panda Lilies

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! :) Also, aem82 okay I'll have to check it out!**

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**Pet Names and Panda Lilies**

* * *

**Aang** and **Katara **walked through Ba Sing Sa, their hands intertwined swinging back and forth between them as they were oblivious to the people looking on at them.

"So...where are you taking me, Sweetie Pie?" said **Katara**.

**Aang** blinked. "_Sweetie Pie_?"

**Katara** blushed. "Well, I just thought I'd have _my own _pet name for you, and I just remembered you talking about how you use to make fruit pies with Gyatso."

"Your own pet name? Do you mean Toph and the Twinkletoes thing? I _really_ don't consider that a pet name." said **Aang**, then he looked lost in thought and smiled. "I like it, _my forever girl_."

"_Forever girl_?" **Katara** busted out laughing, then her expression turned more sober. "I like the sound of that..._forever_." she paused. "So where are you taking me?"

"Zuko recommended this place he went to on a date with an earth kingdom girl," said **Aang**.

**Katara** busted out laughing for the second time that day. "_Zuko on a date? With an earth kingdom girl?" _

"_Oops_...I wasn't suppose to say that," said **Aang**. "_Please_, do not tell Mai! Zuko will barbeque me!"

"Then he'll have to deal with me," said **Katara** seriously, then winked.

* * *

"Aang? Are you okay?" **Katara** said, looking at him from across the table, that was simply decorated with a lit candle to give off a romantic vibe within the restaurant. They had gotten a secluded table away from the crowd.

"_Yes...why do you ask_?" **Aang** said, his voice filled with jitters.

"Because the flame on that candle is getting pretty high."

"_Oh_." **Aang** took a deep breath and gently exhaled, the flame on the candle lowered, but it still flickered.

"I don't understand?" said **Katara**. "Are you nervous? You were fine until we sat down, then you just started shoving food in your mouth when we got our meals. It's okay I'm nervous too."

"You don't show it."

"Believe me, I am."

**Aang** sighed. "I think it just _hit_ me that this is a date. I mean a _date_. With _you_. And I just don't want to do anything wrong. And make you wonder why you _thought_ you liked me. And it doesn't help that our waiter is a six foot something, muscular guy with thick shiny_ hair_!" he let out a ragged breath, his shoulders slumped. "Why would you want to go out with a silly little kid, when you could have that."

"Aang, I don't think you're a silly little kid."

**Aang** gave **Katara** a look. "Katara, you once called me a _sweet little guy just like Momo."_

**Katara** visibly winced at that. "I did?" she paused. "I see now I was pretty dense to what was right in front of me. Well, you might be a sweet guy like Momo, but Momo definitely isn't as wonderful and handsome as you," she said blushing, then she looked confused and shook her head.

"Is something wrong?" asked **Aang**.

"No, I just got this overwhelming sense of déjà vu," said **Katara**, then she looked down in thought nervously biting her lip. "Aang, I think I would like some dessert, some pie."

**Aang **looked confused at her sudden want of dessert. "Okay, I'll try to signal the waiter." But before he could do that, **Katara** reached out her hand across the table placing it on top of his. He could feel her hand trembling.

"No...I mean _you_, Sweetie Pie."

**Aang's** mouth dropped, he closed it wordlessly, then gulped. "O...o...okay," he stuttered.

They both tentatively leaned forward, inches apart they stared at each other for a moment, and let out a nervous chuckle, then their lips met in a sweet, firm, kiss that sent a feeling of euphoria within their souls.

They pulled away dazed, and sat back down in their seats.

Five minutes later their waiter approached their table. "Could I interest you in any dessert today?" said the waiter. He looked oddly at them when they both busted out laughing.

"No, thank you," said **Katara** laughing. "I doubt anything you could serve me, could beat what I just had."

* * *

Aang twirled the panda lily between his fingers, as he sat down in the Jasmine Dragon trying to pick up the nerve to approach Katara. Sokka entered the room slightly limping.

Aang looked Sokka up and down. "Sokka, are you okay?" he said. "You kind of look like you took a fall."

"_I'm fine_," said Sokka, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. "Hey Aang?"

"Yeah?" said Aang.

"When you asked me about girls at that crazy fortuneteller's village," said Sokka, "you weren't talking about that girl with the strange hair, were you?"

"Meng?" said Aang. "Um...no?"

"_Yeah_, I just _figured _that out." Sokka narrowed his eyes at Aang, then shook his head. "Just whatever...I don't even want to think about it right now...it's...it's too _weird_!" he limped off into another room probably to go find his future self and Suki.

* * *

Aang did indeed find her on the terrance, she was sitting on the stone bench, with her back to him. He just stared at her, his presence unknown to her. For quite some time, Aang was satisfied with this, her back being to him, just watching her from afar. But his heart wanted more, it wanted her eyes staring back at him with love. His sweaty palms drenched the stem of the panda lily, he rubbed them off, took a deep breath, and took a step forward.

Katara gasped once she realized she wasn't alone, she avoided eye contact. But Aang still did what he planned to do—leave her a token of his affection. "Here," he said laying the panda lily down on the bench, "this is for you."

Aang then turned to leave, but Katara stopped him. "Aang, wait!" she cried out. She picked the panda lily off the bench and raised it to her nose to inhale the aroma. She then stood in front of Aang.

"Yeah?" Aang said, his voiced filled with anxiety.

Katara bit her lip, then she hesitantly lifted one of her hands slightly and then with a burst of energy she intertwined her hand with his. "Thank you."

Aang glanced down at their hands, he could feel her hand trembling. He looked up and a smile grew on his face. "You're welcome."

* * *

**Please review! :)**


	7. Rainy Days

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**Rainy Days**

* * *

**Aang** and **Katara** walked hand in hand down the street after their meal together. Then it started to rain, people ran for shelter, but Aang and Katara just stood where they were and bended the rain from falling on them. They stood and stared at each other as the rain fell around them. Then Aang let the rain fall on him, he put out his hand, the rain droplets soaked through the fabric of his sleeve and and trailed down the pale skin of his hand.

"Dance with me."

**Katara** smiled, and let the rain drizzle upon her, and she took his hand.

Together they danced in the rain. **Aang** was mesmerized as Katara bended the water around her like a shawl made of rain droplets that moved with her every twist and turn. They laughed, their steps splashing in the puddles of rain. Then they came together, and rested their foreheads together, the rain dripping down the contours of their faces.

"I don't want this to end," she said. "Will it always be like this?"

"_Forever_," he said.

* * *

Aang and Katara sat together outside, under the shelter of the roof of the Jasmine Dragon, as they watched the rain cascade off the roof and patter against the cement. Katara caressed the petals of her panda lily as she sat next to Aang.

"Aang?" she said.

He turned his head slightly. "Yeah?"

She hesitated as a blush came upon her face. "How long have you _liked_ me?"

Aang blushed. "Since I first laid eyes on you," he said. "And it just kept growing from there."

Katara gasped, completely shocked with this revelation. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"_I tired_!" exclaimed Aang. "I even told you I liked you more than normal, but you didn't hear me. You seemed too occupied with the fortuneteller."

Katara stared down at the ground embarrassed and ashamed.

"Besides," he said. "I guess I started to think I didn't have a chance with you."

"Don't say that!" Katara exclaimed.

"Well, when you called me a sweet little guy, just like _Momo_," he said, "that kind of dampened my spirits."

Katara visibly winced. She glanced at him, then she blushed. "Well, you might be a sweet guy like Momo, but Momo definitely isn't as wonderful and handsome as you."

Aang blushed at the compliment, a goofy smile growing on his lips.

Katara reached back and fixed the panda lily into the back of her hair and smiled at Aang.

Aang suddenly started laughing. "What's so funny?" Katara said as she continued to smile.

"I just realized something," said Aang. "When I was taking to your future self, I had no idea I was asking her questions about myself, and that I helped her come to a decision. Aunt Wu once told me I had the power to reshape my own destiny. I just never realized she meant it so _literally_."

They then noticed two figures approaching them in the rain. It was themselves.

**Aang** and **Katara** walked under the room to where their past selves were.

"You guys are soaking wet!" exclaimed Aang.

**Aang** and **Katara** laughed making their eyes glow with happiness. "Yeah, we know," they said.

"Why didn't you waterbend, or try to find an umbrella?" said Katara.

**Aang** shrugged his shoulders. "Just didn't feel like it," he said. "And now I feel like having a hot cup of tea and sitting by the fire." **Aang** looked to **Katara**. "Care to join me?"

"Of course," **Katara** said, then she did a double-take at her past self. ""So that's how I got the flower," she exclaimed. "Talk about _surreal_."

**Aang**, Katara, and Aang stared at her confused. "What do you mean?" said **Aang**.

"Never mind," **Katara** said, then she turned to her past self. "Why don't you go help **Aang** with the tea? I'd like to have a word with Aang."

**Aang** and Katara shrugged their shoulders and left to go make some hot tea.

**Katara** turned to the boy she knew would someday turn into the man that would unexpectedly proclaim his love for her with a kiss in the middle of a war, stirring emotions within her she didn't even know she was capable of feeling and sweep her off her feet. She also knew deep within her heart, that he would be the man she would someday marry. But she also knew, she would unknowingly cause him pain and confusion with her own confusion over the matter.

"Aang, I just wanted to tell you," she said. "You will always have my heart even if you don't know it, or I don't realize it. Just know, it will be a happy ending."

Aang looked a tad confused at her words, but then he just smiled. "You will always have mine, too."

* * *

**Aang** and Aang sat by the fireplace sipping tea, **Katara** and Katara had left to get ready for bed. They had all had fun whether it was staring at the fire in comfortable slience or just laughing in this time of peace.

"I can't believe it _me and Katara_," said Aang staring down at his mug with a smile. "I can't believe I actually got to _witness_ our first kiss."

**Aang** started coughing a little. "That...that wasn't our _first_ kiss.

"Oh, right I forgot Katara said that her future self had kissed that guy already, which is me," said Aang. "I can't believe Katara kissed me!

"Actually, I kissed her first," said **Aang** blushed.

Aang spat out his tea, coughing. His future self patted him on the back. "WHAT? I...we...you...you kissed her first!" Aang shook his head in disbelief. "I...I.._wouldn't_...I could barely get the words out."

"That's what I meant when I said, I wouldn't use the word _tell_," said **Aang**. "I _showed_ her I liked her," he paused. "You'd be surprised at what you will do when you feel your time is short."

"_Oh_," said Aang speechless.

"Speaking of time," said **Aang**. "We really should try to think of a way to get you back to your own time. I can't have a future, if my past stays in the future."

* * *

**Please review! :)**


	8. Wrong Place, Wrong Time

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

* * *

Katara leaned back on the bed in her pajamas as her future self sat at the vanity dresser combing through her still slightly damp hair.

Katara fiddled with her hair as she kept glancing at her future self, then she finally spoke. "So...how...how was your _date_...with Aang?"

**Katara** sighed," _Wonderful_," she paused in thought. "He called me his _forever girl_."

Katara listened on with eager ears. _"Forever girl? Really?"_

"Yes," said **Katara**. "Then we had dinner at this restaurant. Aang was really nervous, I think he thought I would change my mind."

Katara looked down once again feeling ashamed of herself for probably making Aang feel that way.

"I...I..kind of _flirted_ with him," **Katara **blurted out blushing madly.

"No way!" said Katara her eyes getting wide.

"I know! I could hardly believe it myself! I never thought I'd have the guts to!" said **Katara**, then she sighed. "Then we..._kissed_."

Katara grabbed a pillow and squeezed it, like she was watching a romantic play. "You did! I can't believe it! I...I..mean I can...but...wow. Our third kiss."

"Actually, that was our..._fourth_ kiss."

Katara squeezed the pillow, making some feathers pop out. _"What?"_

"Then there was that almost kiss in the cave. I wonder is _this_ why I was feeling that way at that _time_? That would _explain_ a lot," said **Katara** wondering aloud.

_"What? What cave are you talking about? Why were we in a cave?" _

"Well, we kind of got trapped there," said **Katara**. "And it was like a life or death kiss."

Katara clawed to the end of bed, her eyes wide. "What? Was one of us _dying_? Injuried? _What_?"

"Oh, no nothing like that," said **Katara**, she paused in thought. "You did say you came here after Aang went into the Avatar state at the Earth Kindgom base?"

"Yes," said Katara growing impatient," now what cave? What happened?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, trust me," **Katara** said with a wink.

Katara crossed her arms getting frustrated with...with _herself_! What did she mean by that? Would it be happening soon in her time? A almost kiss with Aang? Her mind began to drift to earlier that day when Aang gave her the panda lily. She glanced at her nightstand where she had placed the flower in a vase of water.

_Aang._

Just his name brought a whimsical smile upon her face.

Her future self noticed this smile and got a mischievous glint in her eye. "So how was your _evening_...with Aang?"

Katara felt her heart hammer against her chest and the blood rush to her cheeks like a raging flood of lava. "Um...it was...I..um," she stuttered and gulped. Oh, this was _ridiculous_! She was talking to herself! If you can't share things with _yourself_, who can you? "I think..._I kind of flirted with him too_!" she said in a rush and covered her face with her hands.

Katara busted out laughing. "_What_?" oh my gosh was that really what she looked like when she blushed?

"I told him, he might be a sweet guy like Momo, but Momo definitely isn't as wonderful and handsome as him."

"Oh, no wonder I had déjà vu," said **Katara**. "So what do you think of Aang _now_?"

Katara looked down at the bed sheet. "I think I overlooked him, when I shouldn't have." Boy, did she ever! "I was so obsessed with I thought I wanted, what I thought would make me happy, that I hadn't realized I had already found someone that made me happy." She began to think about all her times with Aang and this look he would always give her. Her heart skipped a beat. "I...I _really_ like him," she said with a dream-like expression. "Is...is it really like flying?" she asked blushing. "The..._kissing_?"

**Katara** climbed into bed, turned off the light, and pulled the covers over herself. "Yeah, you'll find out for yourself one day."

Katara gazed at the panda lily that was on her nightstand in a vase encased by the moonlight. She snuggled up to her pillow, closing her eyes as she smiled. "_I hope so_," she whispered, before she drifted off to sleep to dream about that one day.

* * *

"Um...I'm not so sure about this," said **Aang**, standing in front of all their past selves, who stood in a line next to each other. The other future selves stood to the side.

"It's simple Aang, you have control over the Avatar State," said **Sokka**. "So you go into the Avatar State and send our past selves back to the past."

"Well, that's the thing," said **Aang** rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm _still _not sure if I have _complete_ control over the Avatar State."

"WHAT?" screamed both Sokkas.

"Well, Ozia was really coming down on me, then I got hit in the back and...it all just happened real quick."

Everyone stood in indecision, Katara glanced at Aang who was standing next to her. Her hand twitched to life as she took his hand in hers. She looked straight at his future self, "I trust you, Aang."

"Just concentrate really hard on them," said **Sokka**. "You don't want to send yourself back to the past along with them."

Yeah, have I _mentioned_, I have no idea how this works!" **Aang** sighed. "Well, here goes nothing."

* * *

Sokka got up from the wooden floor, his neck aching from landing in a weird angle. He looked in front of him to find himself in a very simple decorated room with a couple of potted plants and a pai sho board.

Sokka groaned. "Oh _great_! _Now_ where are we?"

All Aang could see was hair; it was all over his face and in his mouth and there was something heavy on top of him and beneath him almost felt like a bed.

Katara lifted herself up, to see Aang's face a couple of inches from hers. Both their eyes widened once they realized where they were, they scrambled off the bed as quickly as they could before Sokka turned around.

"Do you guys have any idea where we...," Sokka turned around,"...why are you two all red in the face?"

"_Nothing_!" they said in unison. Katara nervously tried to rebraid her hair. Aang started looking around after he got over his embarrassment. The more he looked about the farther his mouth dropped.

Aang's eyes stared at everything in disbelief as his body started to slightly tremble at the shock that ran through his being. "This is _my_ room."

"This is your what...?" said Sokka.

"This is my room," he repeated, "the one I use to have at the _Southern Air Temple_."

Then they all heard a very familiar sound—the roar of a sky bison, except it wasn't a single roar.

Aang rushed over to the window, he gasped, his hands clenching onto the windowsill making them hurt from the pressure, his eyes widened as his grey eyes submerged into tears that threatened to overflow.

Katara and Sokka came up behind him, their eyes widened as well at what they saw.

Sky bison soaring through the air, as little ones clumsily tried to follow. Two winged lemurs drove pass the window in a synchronized dance, and down below the laughing of children could be heard. Life and hope echoed again all around in this once desolated place.

"We're in the past," said Sokka stunned. "But not _our_ past."

"_Oh no_," Katara breathed.

* * *

**Please review! :) I'll post more later, right now I feel like I need to get some rest!**


	9. Past Regrets

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! :) I'm just going to post some more parts real quick. Kataangfan19, sure I'll check it out when I have time.**

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**Past Regrets**

* * *

Before either Katara or Sokka could stop him, Aang ran towards the door.

_"Aang, wait!" _cried out Katara. She didn't like this, she was having an internal battle with herself. On one side she was so happy for Aang, that he might be able to see his people once again. On the other side, this could just put salt into the wound, and who knows what they could possible change by being here. She put her hand over her heart, as he went through the door. _Oh, Aang._

Aang's eyes darted back and forth once he was in the corridor outside his room; he tried to take everything in, the walls no longer covered with cobwebs, the distance sounds of life, and then his eyes widened upon seeing Jinju.

"JINJU!" Aang shouted with overwhelming joy as he swept the grimy looking airbender in a massive hug. "Jinju! Is...is it..._really_...you?" he choked out through his tears of happiness.

"Aang...I can't breathe!" gasped Jinju through Aang's bone crushing hug. Aang pulled back looking at Jinju in amazement.

"What...was that for?" said Jinju. "You've never hugged me before." He paused. "No one has, they tell me I have hygiene issues. I don't get it," he said ending with an odd sounding laugh.

Aang shook his head brimming with a smile. "I don't care about that! I don't care about anything!" he exclaimed. "I'm just so happy to see you...alive."

Jinju made another odd sound laugh. "Well, course I'm alive. What's with you Aang? You act as if you haven't seen me in forever."

Aang looked down at the ground sniffing his nose. "I haven't seen you since...I _feel_ like I haven't seen you in awhile, that's all," he said feebly.

"Oh," said Jinju. "Well, come on we're having fruit salad today!"

"I will be there in a little while," Aang said weakly. "Go on without me."

Aang watched as Jinju disappeared down the corridor, then he whipped around back into his room and straight into Katara's arms and released his tears.

"Aang?" said Katara feeling very troubled as he collided into her, she instantly embraced him as they kneeled on the floor together. She could feel the sobs that racked through him, the emotional earthquake sending his body into quivers, his gasps of breath, the tears soaking through her clothes—his heart breaking as if it was her own.

"I...I...saw Jinju...," Aang gasped through his weeping," ...he was alive...and...and..._it's not fair_," he screamed out," _it's not fair! Why? Why did they have to die! It's all my fault...my fault!"_

Aang's cries ripped through Katara's heart, she felt his pain, because what was his was her own. She bit her lip hard making it crack under the pressure, tears instantly filled her eyes. She held him closer as if trying to protect him from the world; she glanced up at her brother to see him looking on in despair. She rubbed his back gently and rested her lips against the top of his head. She felt his body go slightly limp in her arms; his body too weak to support him exhausted from his emotional angst.

_"Oh, Aang!" _Katara choked out. _"I wish I knew what to do! I'm here for you...I'm here. I won't let you go."_

Aang didn't know how long he laid in Katara's arms, it felt like an eternity and just a couple of seconds at the same time. Then Sokka's alarmed voice woke him up.

* * *

"I think someone's coming," exclaimed Sokka. "Hide!"

Katara looked around. _"Where?" _she said panicked.

Sokka frantically looked around. "The...the...the _closet_!" he said pointing to it.  
Katara and Sokka tried their best to help Aang up; they had just managed to get into the closet and close the door only leaving a small slit to peek through when someone entered the room.

They saw _Aang_ enter the room, he laid his glider against the wall and started searching for something under his bed.

Katara put her hand over her mouth trying not to gasp aloud as she watched the younger Aang. Sokka tried to move the clothes hanging in the closet around quietly trying to make more space. Aang sat on the floor, his head resting against the wall, he didn't seem to care to look.

Jinju then entered Aang's room looking slightly worried. "Aang? Was that you screaming?" he asked as he stared down at Aang on the floor under his bed.

"Found it!" exclaimed _Aang_ as he got out from under his bed; he was holding a piece of paper that seemed to be a painting of some sort. He looked at Jinju. "No, I wasn't screaming."

"Oh, well it sounded like you," said Jinju, then he gave Aang a quick hug.

_Aang_ started slightly coughing from the dirt particles that always seemed to be on Jinju. "Um...what was that for?" he said confused.

"I was just returning your hug from earlier," said Jinju letting out an odd laugh.

_Aang_ glanced down at the floor looking more confused. "I didn't hug you," he said, "I was outside flying."

"Yeah, you did," said Jinju looking confused also. "Then I told you were having fruit salad today!"

"We're having fruit salad today?" said _Aang_ looking happy. "I love the mandarin oranges in it!"

"Um...yeah?" said Jinju puzzled. "You're acting weird today Aang."

"I am?"

"Yeah," said Jinju. "So are you coming?"

"Yeah," said _Aang_. "I just have to turn in my art project."

_Aang_ and Jinju left the room closing the door behind them. Katara and Sokka let out a sigh of relief.

_"Guys?" _they heard Aang say in a hoarse voice on the floor of the closet. They looked down at him worried for their friend.

"I think...we're a couple of days before they told me I was the Avatar."


	10. Changes of Time

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**Changes of Time**

* * *

Sokka sighed. "Well, what do we do now?"

_"I can't believe you!"_ Katara whispered in the faint light of the closet. "Can't you see he's in pain?"

"I don't want to spend the night in this closet," Sokka said. "I'm starting to think my back is going to stay this way."

"W-what should we do?" Aang said weakly.

"I don't think we should interact with the past," said Sokka. "The first time was a mistake, but I think it's alright, but the past," he paused. "The past seems more delicate, if we change something here, it will change _everything_. We need to find a place to hang low until we find a way back to our past."

"I know a place," said Aang slowly getting up. "It's my own secret place in the Southern Air Temple, that I use to go to when I wanted to think. The only person we have to worry about stumbling upon us is...myself."

Aang lead them through different hidden passages, he said he had found once when wandering around as a child.

Finally through all the twist and turns they entered a medium sized room, with a floor made of stone tiles of tufts blue, in each tile a lotus was carved, cracks ran through them from old age. There was a Zen garden with white sand with the symbol of air raked through it, rocks of different proportions were scattered around some in the Zen garden and others on the stone floor.

Katara took a seat on one of the rocks as did Sokka and Aang. "How are we going to get home?" Katara wondered aloud.

Sokka rubbed his chin. "Well, the only way I know is through the Avatar State," he said. "But Aang really doesn't know how to control it," he sighed. "Avatar, avatar..._avatar_," he repeated then his eyes went wide. "Avatar! That's it! The Avatars! The room of the Avatars here at the Southern Air Temple! Aang could try to communicate with Avatar Roku! He must know some way to solve this! If not, then I have no clue."

"That might actually work," said Katara. "What do you think Aang?"

But Aang didn't answer her, he seemed focused in his thoughts; he had been very quiet ever since his emotional breakdown.

"We just have to find a way to get to the room of the Avatars without anyone spotting us," said Sokka. "Then hopefully we'll find a way back home."

Katara looked on uncertain at Aang. "_Aang_?" she said starting to get worried at his silence.

"_I'm not going with you_," Aang blurted out.

Katara blinked several times, her mouth agape. "W-what? Of course, you're coming with us Aang."

Aang hung his head, his eyes shut, and his face grimaced. "_No_," he said. "I'm going to tell my past self to not run away."

Sokka sat dumbfounded. Katara jerked up from her seat, her eyes watered, she stared at him stunned; he wouldn't meet her gaze. Her eyes then hardened. "Oh, did you _just_ decide this!" she snapped at him. The hurt and betrayal tingled through her body. How _could_ he? How could he just decide this! As if it was nothing. As if...she was _nothing_.

Aang turned his back to her from where he sat. "No, I've been thinking about it since we got here," he said, sounding like every syllable burnt his throat as it passed over his tongue. "Katara, if I convince my past self to not run away and train as the Avatar. This war will never be, people will live happy lives instead of years of hopelessness in war," he paused letting out an unstable breath. "You will have your mother back."

Katara was on the edge of self-control, the mention of her mother sent her over the edge. "_NO_!" she choked out, tears streaming down her face. "Please, please don't _leave_ me!" she clenched her fists. "I won't let you! Aang," she said begging him, "I meant it when I said you probably would have been killed by the fire nation if you had stayed!" Her chest heaved with hyperventilating breathes. "I miss my mom so much! I would love to feel her arms around me just one more time. But I realize I can't keep living in the past, I need to live for the future and every new day," she paused, the salt of her tears lingering in her mouth. "Live for the future _with_ me, Aang!" He remained quiet and still. "You just can't throw away all the times, all the memories we've had together."

"It won't matter," Aang said, his voice sounding void. "We won't remember...we will never have met."

Katara stared down at the ground, her eyes crinkled up in pain, pupils wandering lost in a whirlpool of emotions. She couldn't breathe, her chest felt so constricted. _"But...I...I..." _

"_Please, don't_," said Aang, his voice cracking.

Katara's head jerked up. "Please, don't what?" she sobbed. "Please, don't say _I love you_?" Aang's head shot up, his shoulders tensed. "Please, don't _leave_ me? Because that's _exactly_ what I want to say!" Her head slumped forward. "Do you just not care about me anymore?" she said faintly.

"That's not true. I'm doing this _for_ you," he replied without hesitation.

"Well, do me a _favor_ and don't do this for me! _Be_ with me!"

Aang got up from his sitting place not turning around to face her. He repeated the words he once told her when he was being taken captive by Zuko "_Don't worry, Katara, it'll be okay_." Then he walked towards the exit.

"_No, you can't do this to me! To us_!" she screamed after him, but it was too late, he was gone.

She just stood still staring at the spot he disappeared to, tears rolling down her cheeks. "_So much for one day_," she whispered.

Katara wrapped her arms around herself as she sobbed hysterically. Her knees were no longer able to hold her as he kneecaps slammed into the floor. With a trembling hand she removed the panda lily from her hair. She held it to her nose, inhaling the aroma, the petals slightly muffling her sobs. A tear drop ran down the velvet texture of the petal. She laid there on the cold stone floor in a fetal position, clutching the panda lily as her tears streamed down into the cracks in the floor—and the cracks in her heart.


	11. Ominous Clouds

**DC: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Happy Fortune**

**Ominous Clouds**

* * *

Katara had settled down, but only so much. She was still on the stone floor, she hugged her knees close to her chest, her face wet with tears.

Sokka slowly walked up to her and kneeled down beside her. "What's going on with you and Aang?" he said softly. "First I see your future selves going on a date, and now you two seem _close_," even as he said that he knew it was an understatement, for heaven's sake his sister looked like a wreck and a couple of minutes ago she professed her love.

Katara turned her head, her eyes narrowing into a glare; it was colder than any water she ever waterbended on him.

"Don't you _dare_, Sokka," she said in a hoarse voice, caused by all her crying. "Don't you go all protective brother on me and say I'm too young or I'm a baby. Just _don't_."

"I wasn't going to do that," he said. "I know I can be difficult sometimes, but you're my sister and...I love you," he said giving her a gentle smile. "I just want you to be happy."

Katara eyes instantly softened, she looked close to breaking down in tears again. "We were getting close, or so I believed," she said weakly.

"He does care for you," said Sokka. "Even I can see that now."

"_Does_ he?" she choked out. "Then how can he do this to me!"

"I kind of thought the same thing," he said," when dad was leaving for the war, and he told me to stay behind. He did it because he loved me..._us_. But it didn't make it hurt any less."

Katara leaped forward and threw her arms around her brother, she wept into his chest. "He can't do this! I won't end well, I just know! It's like a feeling. You feel it too, don't you? He was meant to wait out the war, we were meant to find him!" She held onto her brother tighter. "_I want him back_!" she sobbed. "_I want him back_!"

* * *

Aang stared at his reflection in the water as he sat on the rim of the fountain. The pain and angst stared back at him, his frown got deeper, he slapped the water in frustration. He was out in the open, but he doubted anyone would notice him, they were all in classes. Not that he cared if anyone saw him, he really couldn't give a darn about anything, except...

_Katara._

Why? It wasn't fair. He had waited so long for her to return his affections. It had felt like centuries, and finally it had happen...and he let it go or more like threw it back at her. He slammed his face into his palms. He _hated _himself. She cried and he had ignored her, but only because he knew the minute he wrapped his arms around her or looked into those beautiful sapphire eyes, his resolution would melt. He felt so lost, wasn't he doing the right thing? Was he sent here somehow to erase his mistake?

He would admit, partially he wanted to stay because he had missed his home, this home and the people in it. But most of all he didn't want people to suffer through a war because of him, he didn't want Katara to suffer. But it would seem he had made her suffer anyway. Did she truly care for him that much?

_I love you._

Her voice, those words, would not stop echoing in his head. When she had first said it, he thought he had hallucinated it, but no he couldn't mistaken how his body reacted—how his heart reacted. His heart felt like it would burst for joy to have the love of such a girl, no a young woman. And at the same time felt like she just ran a stake through it, because he would have to let it go. He had never felt so alive and dead at the same time.

He turned back to stare at his reflection in the water.

She would eventually understand, forget him and move on, he wasn't that special, he wasn't unforgettable.

One of his tears dropped causing a ripple in the water.

Unfortunately, she was unforgettable.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the future.

**Aang** sat under the roof of the Jasmine Dragon with **Katara**. They held hands, as they leaned on one another just enjoying being together on this clear day; the sun shined warming their faces like a gentle kiss.

"Do you think they made it back okay?" said **Katara**.

**Aang** shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. I was really surprised to see that it actually worked," he said. "Hopefully, they made it back." He looked down, furrowing his brow.

**Katara** caressed his ear to draw his attention. "Something is bugging you, I can tell."

"It's just that, just as I was trying to send them back, I couldn't help but think of the past, of when I was just an air nomad," he paused. "Do...do you think that could have affected anything?"

"I don't know," said **Katara**.

**Aang** looked up, his eyes then narrowed in speculation.

"What is it?" asked **Katara**.

"It looks like the clouds are changing," he said. The clouds started to shift, thunderous clouds loomed overhead, the sky turned dim causing a shadow over Ba Sing Se.

**Katara's** hair whipped around from the gush of winds. "That storm came out of nowhere." She got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. **Aang** suddenly clutched his stomach. "What's wrong?" she asked with concern in her eyes.

"I don't feel so good," said **Aang**, his face looking paler than usual.

**Katara** helped **Aang** up. "Let's go inside. You should lie down, I'll make you some herbal tea maybe that will help. You'll be fine, everything will be fine," she said more to herself then anyone. She took one final glance at the storm, before getting **Aang** inside. "_I hope_," she whispered.

Countless raindrops fell from the sky, causing many ripples in the puddles of water below.

* * *

**Please review! **


	12. Decisions

**A/N: Drat, sorry I kinda spaced-out on uploading the other parts! **

**DC: I do not own A:TLA**

**Decisions**

* * *

There he was, so naïve, so carefree, so happy, so completely oblivious to what was about to happen.

Aang stared at his past self from around a corner, he was lucky to find him alone. He tip-toed up from behind him trying to not alert his past self of his presence. He gulped. Well, this was it. Oh, spirits! Please someone give him a sign if this was good or bad.

He lifted his hand; all he had to do was tap this past self's shoulder. Hopefully, he wouldn't faint...or scream.

But before Aang could do that, apparently someone had snuck up from behind him, because the next thing he knew, he had someone's hand over his mouth silencing him and pulling him back around the corner.

Aang relaxed once he realized it was Sokka. Sokka put a finger against his lip, a gesture to Aang to keep quiet, then he nodded as a way to tell Aang to follow him.

They found a secluded room; they sat in silence looking at one another waiting for someone to say the first word.

"I was kind of wondering when you would get here," said Aang. He had a feeling Sokka would try and stop him, that or beat him up for breaking his sister's heart. Aang _really_ hoped he wasn't going to do that.

"Well, I would have been here sooner, but I kind of got lost in all those secret tunnels," Sokka groaned. "Oh, great! Now I have that stupid song in my head!"

"What song?" said Aang.

"Some stupid song your future self was singing, when we were in the future," said Sokka.

Well, that seemed to lighten the tension.

"And I was also busy picking up the pieces of my sister's shattered heart," he added.

Aang winced. The tension was back.

"You can't do this Aang," said Sokka. "My sister truly cares for you and you're hurting her."

Aang jerked his head up. "Don't you think it _hurts_ me too!" he choked out. "_I hate this_!" he yelled in frustration. "The biggest mistake of my life is staring me right in the face! They're completely oblivious to what fate has in store for them."

"No, you're wrong," said Sokka. "If you leave Katara, that will be your biggest mistake."

Aang sniffed his nose. "All I want to do is just fall into her arms and forget everything, but I can't! I have to sacrifice my own happiness, for everyone else's happiness—for her happiness. I want her to be happy, for you guys to have your mom back."

"You make her happy," said Sokka. "Aang you may be the Avatar and have given the world hope, but you've given me hope for my sister, you make her smile."

"She will find someone else that makes her smile," Aang said forced.

"Aang, have you thought about what could happen if you go through with this? If you do convince your past self to stay and stop the war from ever happening?" said Sokka without waiting for a reply. "Gran-Gran once told me that this war had brought a lot of pain, but that it also had brought a lot of happiness."

Aang looked up at Sokka like he was out of his mind. How could a war bring happiness?

"I didn't completely understand it at the time, I thought Gran-Gran was having one of her _old_ moments," said Sokka continuing. "She said this war had made her look at her life, and all the people suffering, it gave her strength to fight against the customs of her tribe and so she left for the Southern Water Tribe and met my grandfather there and then my father was born. He then met my mother and had Katara and I. She said if it wasn't for the war, she probably wouldn't have had a second thought about it and just would have gone through with her arranged marriage and that she would have missed out on having the unbound joy of having us as grandchildren."

Aang gapped at him completely stunned.

"What if your choice changes things?" Sokka paused. "Katara and I could possibly not exist."

Aang really didn't need to think about it long, he would rather die than have something like that possibly happen. "You know Sokka," he said with a gentle smile. "You're pretty wise."

Sokka shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I keep telling people that, but no one believes me."

Aang stared down at the floor and sighed. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

Sokka was silent, which worried Aang. "_Sokka_?" he said worried.

"_Yeah...sure_," said Sokka not sounding very convincing. "Just make sure she's not near any bodies of water."

* * *

The moment Katara saw Aang enter the room with Sokka, she crossed her arms and turned her back to him.

Aang gulped, he glanced at Sokka then took a step towards her. "Katara?" he said sounding uneasy. Her reply was dead silence. "I'm sorry!" he choked out. "I was an idiot, I just thought that...if I stayed it would make everyone happy. I know how much you miss your mother, I always kind of thought it was my fault because I wasn't there to stop the war. I just thought this was my chance to fix everything, but I had all these thoughts...but I wasn't really thinking at all." Aang sighed, she was still giving him the cold shoulder, she was never going to speak to him again. "And...and...I just wanted you to know," he sighed, "that..._I...I...love you_."

He then heard a soft cry and before he knew it Katara was in his arms sobbing. He relaxed and tried to intake her warm and scent, but she pulled away all too soon.

Katara pounded her fists against his chest, while she sobbed. "YOU LEFT ME! YOU JUST LEFT ME! DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN! YOU HEAR ME! EVER AGAIN! OR I WILL FREEZE YOU IN A BALL OF ICE MYSELF!"

Aang rubbed his chest wincing. "_I'm sorry_...I promise I won't."

Katara threw her arms around him again. "Then...I forgive you," she pulled back with a gentle smile.

Aang smiled so widely it looked as it would crack his face. He held out his hand to her. "Come with me," he said. "I want to show you something."

Aang and Katara walked hand in hand down the empty corridors of the Southern Air Temple.

"What if someone sees us?" whispered Katara.

"Don't worry, they won't be out for another hour," Aang said. "Almost everyone is having a meditation session now."

Aang lead Katara outside, and kept walking until they came upon a garden. The grass was a vivid green lightly swaying in the breeze. A small waterfall trickled down some rocks into a pond of fish where lily pads floated on top. All around were brilliant colors and aromas of flowers scattered around. Looking out you could see for miles as if you were sitting on top of world.

"_It's so beautiful_," breathed Katara.

"Yes," said Aang with a sad look in his eyes," it..._was_," he paused. "I loved coming here, especially at night you could see the moon so clearly it was almost as if you could touch it, and the stars...they were endless."

Katara looked at Aang, she could feel his grief. "Maybe after the war, we can go back to the Southern Air Temple and replant the garden, I know it won't be exactly the same but..."

Aang smiled gently at her. "Can we sit down for a bit?"

"Sure," she said, as they laid down in the grass together and stared up at the sky.

Aang closed his eyes trying to capture this moment of tranquility. It was _perfect_—Katara's hand in his, no war, no troubles, the air nomads, this place, this moment.

Aang sighed. "I always kind of wondered how it would have been if you were born in this time and we met here. I would have shown you so many things in this time, the peace I once knew. Maybe if I had met you in this time, I think I could have handled being the Avatar."

"We did meet, and that's all that matters," said Katara, "and you are showing me, right now."

Aang sat up, he was afraid it would be harder to leave if he didn't. "I guess I should go to the room of Avatars," he said halfheartedly. "To try to speak with Roku to get back home."

"Aang, before you try and contact Roku to find a way back home," said Katara. "I know what Sokka said, but I believe we _were_ sent here for a reason," she paused. "I think you need to go see him."

Aang squinted his eyes in confusion. "Go see him?" he repeated.

"_Go see him_," Katara said, looking Aang straight in the eye, sending him a message written within the depths of her eyes. "_Say good-bye_."

Aang's eyes widened, his pupils constricted with dread. "_No_!" he cried out. "No, I can't see _him_!" he said, his voice thick with emotion as he began shaking his head franticly. "I can't _face _him!" his voice cracked. "_I can't!"_

Katara put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "_Go_," she whispered.


	13. A Promise of Happiness

**DC: I do not own A:TLA**

**A Promise of Happiness**

* * *

Aang knew exactly where he would be. He walked down the corridor carefully so no one would see him, but deep down he hoped someone did; anything to give him an excuse to not continue on the path he was taking. But he knew all too well, that it was unlikely since everybody was in a class about right now. And all too soon he was standing outside the door. He reached out his trembling hand to push open the door, then it halted it mid-air.

His heart pounded as he shut his eyes. He didn't want to do it, but at the same time he needed to. He heard Katara's voice in his head. "_Go_." And before he could even think about it, he pushed the door open.

There he stood in his air nomad robes just casually reading over a scroll. He turned to look at the sound of the door opening. "Aang?" said Gyatso. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your meditation session?" he laughed. "You don't want to get in trouble with the elders again."

That laugh, that voice, him there alive talking to him, Aang thought he would never have the chance to experience it again. But there he was...alive, as if it had never happened.

Aang felt his emotions slam into him knocking the wind out of him. He didn't want to move, he didn't want to speak. He was afraid this moment in time would be ripped away from him, if he so made a movement. Like a butterfly—it was beautiful to watch, but one movement and it would flee.

Even though he stood still, his whole body shook in place, jitters running through his body. His eyes watered on the blink of overflowing. His lungs screamed for him to breathe.

"Aang?" said Gyatso, looking worried. "Is something wrong?"

But the temptation of catching that butterfly won upon hearing his voice again.  
"_Gyatso_?" Aang breathed in disbelief, he gulped the lump building up within his throat and slammed his eyes shut making the tears stream down his face."_GYATSO_!"

Aang ran and collided into Gyatso throwing his arms around him, holding onto him for dear life as tremors overtook his body and tears gushed out of his eyes. "I'm so sorry!" he choked out through the aching pain of his throat. _"I'm so sorry!"_

Gyatso looked at Aang, stunned by his behavior. He wrapped his arms around him. "Aang, I do not understand," he said. "What has upset you so?"

Aang let out a sharp cry that cut through his throat as he felt Gyatso's touch; something he thought he'd never feel again. He clutched onto Gyatso robes tighter, his knuckles turning white. "I...I did something really _bad_!" he sobbed.

"Did you mean to do this something bad?"

Aang buried his head into Gyatso's robes shaking his head. "No, I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it at _all_!"

Gyatso patted Aang's head lovingly, like a father to a son. "Then I forgive you."

Aang jerked back, he stared up at Gyatso stunned, his eyes glazed over with tears. "H-how can you?" he said his voice cracking. "You...don't e-even _know_ what it is!"

Gyatso pushed Aang back gently, and kneeled in front of him, he put his hands on his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "I know you didn't mean it," said Gyatso. "And even if you did. That's what people do when they love someone, they forgive them."

Aang blinked causing tears to cascade down his face, he sniffed his nose. Then he leaped and wrapped his arms around Gyatso. "_I love you, Gyatso_!"

"And I you, young one," he said. "Listen to me Aang. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy. Promise me Aang, that you will be _happy_."

Aang tried to calm down his breathing as the tears drained down the back of his throat. He took in Gyatso's smell of fruit pies, the breath leaving his mouth, his voice—everything in this moment. He squeezed his arms around his neck one more time. "I...I _promise_."

Gyatso got up, looking down at Aang smiling. "Good," he said. "Now run along to your session."

Aang wiped the tears off his face, sniffing his nose, then he just stared at him. Then ever so slowly he inched towards the door, his face never leaving Gyatso. He opened the door, Gyatso had turned his back to get back to whatever he was working on. Aang stood in the doorway for what seemed like an eternity, then he exited but not without one final look.

"_Good-bye Gyatso_," he whispered.

* * *

Aang felt emotional exhausted as he approached Katara in the garden. A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he saw the panda lily placed once again in her hair.

Katara stared at him in apprehension. "How did it go?"

"It went...well," he sighed. "It was beyond words seeing him again. He told me he forgave me, even though he didn't know what it was," he paused. "And that he...loved me and wanted me to be happy."

Katara smiled at him. "I knew he would," she said. "I think my mother would want the same for me."

Aang suddenly felt like the earth had shifted beneath him, he grasped his forehead trying to focus.

"Aang?" said Katara. "Is something wrong?"

Aang shut his eyes and opened them again. "I...I feel dizzy," he said getting lightheaded; he lost his balance as Katara just managed to catch him from hitting the ground.

"_Aang_?" she cried out as she stared into his eyes, she touched his forehand and snapped her hand back from the heat. "_You're burning up_!"

He felt so hot, and yet so cold at the same time. He couldn't stop his body from shaking, he felt as if he had no control whatsoever, he felt too weak to move. He tried to focus on Katara's eyes searching his in panic, but it was getting harder to focus on anything with the throbbing in his head.

"I...I...don't...feel...so good," he managed to utter, then his eyes rolled to the back of his head as his body went limp in her arms.

"_Aang_?" Katara sobbed. "_Aang_?" she stared at his unconscious body in her arms. "_AANG_!"


	14. Unknown Illness

**DC: I do not own A:TLA **

**Unknown Illness**

* * *

**Katara **rinsed the rag feeling the cool water drip into the bucket, spatted it on **Aang's** forehead as he laid unconscious in bed, she had been doing this for a while.

**Sokka** came up from behind her. "How's he doing?"

**Katara** choked out a sob. "_Not good_," she stared down at him with tears in her eyes. "I don't understand! He was _fine_, then he clutched his stomach and said he wasn't feeling well. Then...then he just got worse and went unconscious! _What's happening to him_?" she cried.

"Katara, the healer is here," said **Sokka**. "Let's leave so he can examine him. Maybe he can figure out what's wrong."

"_I can't leave him_!" **Katara** wept, taking a hold of **Aang's** limp hand.

**Sokka** put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Please, Katara," he said, "for Aang."

**Katara** reluctantly let go of Aang's hand, Sokka guided her towards the door as she took one final glance at Aang hoping to see those grey eyes once again full of life; those eyes that had given her life again.

The healer came outside, **Katara** didn't waste a second. "What's wrong with him?" she said.

The healer's shoulders slumped forward, he shook his head sadly at her. "I don't know," he said.

**Katara** looked ready to pounce on him. "What do you _mean_ you don't know!" she yelled clenching her jaw. **Sokka** tried to calm her down. "Please, there has to be a reason?" said Sokka.

"I don't understand it," said the healer with puzzlement in his eyes. "His body is reacting as if it's fighting off a disease or virus. But I can find no reason why his body should be acting this way, he has no illness. His body is attacking itself," he paused," it's...killing him."

**Katara** felt the wind get knocked out her. "_K-killing him_?" she said falling to her knees completely oblivious to everything else as her eyes stared blankly in front of her. This couldn't be happening. He was _fine_. After all he's been through...he couldn't just..._die_. She couldn't lose him...not now...not until countless years of happiness. Why was this happening?

**Katara** slept by Aang's bedside, she woke to see no change in him, then Aunt Wu entered the room.

"Aunt Wu you came!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know what else to do! Can you help us?"

"Your brother told me that your past had visited," Aunt Wu. "And then returned."

"Yes, do you think that's why Aang is sick?"

"I can feel that the timelines are unbalanced," said Aunt Wu. "The past is somewhere it isn't supposed to be. Something is happening in the past that is affecting him now."

**Katara** stared at her with desperation in her eyes as her lip quivered. "Can...can I do _anything_?"

Aunt Wu hung her had, shaking it dejectedly. She felt sorry for such a young child to have already gone through so much pain to be met with more. "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do, my dear. Only the past can determine the survival of the future."

* * *

Katara leaned against the wall as she tried to catch her breath while holding Aang's unconscious body. She could felt the tremors running through his body, his face was clammy with sweat, and his breathes were becoming shallower.

Katara tried to take a couple more steps while supporting his dead weight. What was happening to him? Did he catch something? Why did it hit him so abruptly? Was he feeling ill before and he just didn't let on? She stared down at his pale face. He...he looked _deadly_ ill. This wasn't just an everyday illness.

"Katara?"

She looked up to see her brother ahead of her. "Sokka!" she exclaimed so relieved to see him. "_Help me! I don't know what to do! Something's wrong with him_!" she said in heart wrenching cries.

Sokka rushed up her, taking some of Aang's weight. He looked startled to see Aang in such a state. "What happened?"

Katara started sobbing, her tears falling onto Aang's cheek. "He...he just complained about feeling dizzy, then he just went unconscious! He _won't_ wake up!"

"Don't worry, Katara," said Sokka. "It will be okay."

"DON'T TELL ME THAT!" she snapped, she held onto Aang tighter. "They told me that when mom died, and nothing has been _okay_ since! And just when I started to feel whole again...," she took a deep breath, "there's no chance of me ever feeling okay, if something _happens_ to him!"

Katara and Sokka managed to carry Aang back to his secret place. Katara supported his head in her lap as she sat on the floor and damped his forehead with a cloth she soaked in a bucket of water that Sokka had found.

"He's shaking so much," Katara choked out. A couple of minutes later Aang became completely still.

"That can't be good," said Sokka looking at a lost what to do.

"What's happening to him?" Katara cried out. "I don't understand it! How can he become so ill so quickly? I just can't sit here doing _nothing_! I'm going to ask the monks for help, maybe they can do something!"

"No, Katara!" exclaimed Sokka. "If they know that we're here it could change—"

"I DON'T CARE! DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CARE?" she screamed, then her lip quivered she buried her face into Aang's chest listening to his heart beating; such a delicate state life was, how it was there and could just be gone within a second. "We have to do something," she wept. "He's...he's..._dying_."

* * *

Aang squinted his eyes against the blinding light that seemed to surround him. "W-where am I?"

"Hello, Aang," he heard Roku's voice say, it sounded as if he was talking from the end of a tunnel, he could faintly hear him. "We are in your mind. Your body has gone into a coma like state."

"What's...what's happening to me?" said Aang trying to gather enough energy to speak. "I...feel so sick."

"You have been away from your own timeline for too long," said Roku's voice. "The timelines are starting to react to your absence. Your body is starting to reject this timeline, like a foreign object attacking your body. Your friends will start to feel it too, you are only feeling it first because as the Avatar you are more in tune with it. Come to us Aang, we can only help you if we are in close distance. If you stay much longer in this timeline..._it will kill you_."

"I can barely focus in my own mind," said Aang weakly," how am I suppose to wake myself up?"

"You don't need to wake up," he heard Kyoshi's faint voice through the blinding light.

"We are here in your mind," said Roku's voice, "we are a part of you."

But the state of your body has weaken your spirit, and we can't reach you," said Yangchen's voice.

"You need to come to us," said Kuruk's voice, "fight through to unlock the four chakras of your mind that are blocked by...

"_Self-criticism_," said Yangchen's voice.

"_Self-doubt_," said Roku's voice.

"_Self-loathing_," said Kuruk's voice.

"_Self-pity_," said Kyoshi's voice. "_You must face them all_."

"But I don't know the way," said Aang weakly.

"You will always know the way Aang," said Roku's voice, "It's in your heart, you just need to follow it."

"_Come to us Aang, before it's too late_," he heard all of his past lives say in unison before everything went black.


	15. The Four Chakras of the Mind

**DC: I do not own A:TLA**

**The Four Chakras of the Mind**

* * *

Aang slowly opened his eyes to see pavement. With all the strength he could muster he stood up and found himself staring at the outside of the Jasmine Dragon.

_Oh no_. He didn't understand, had he somehow made himself time travel again? Was he back in the future? What about Katara and Sokka? Were they still stuck in the past?

Suddenly Aang heard some giggling behind him. That sounded like..._Katara_!

Aang turned around filled with an overwhelming sense of joy, but then his heart stopped at the sight that greeted him—Katara in the arms of another guy.

"_Jet_?" Aang choked out.

Katara glanced at him. "Oh, hi Aang! Jet just asked me out, isn't that _great_!"

Aang's lip quivered as his eyes got big. "But...I thought you _loved_ me?" he said feebly.

"Oh, but I do Aang," Katara said with a smile, "I just realized I love you more like a little brother."

Jet scoffed, chewing on the blade of grass in his mouth. "Why would she love you? You're short and bald, you're just a wimpy kid and Katara needs a man."  
Katara giggled. "Oh Jet, don't forget he's also a sweet little guy just like _Momo_."

Aang fell to his knees feeling exhausted, the impact of shock draining what little strength he had. Their words kept echoing in his mind, tearing at his heart. He closed his eyes trying to keep the tears away, then his hands formed into fists.

"You're right, I am a _sweet_ guy," Aang said determination building up within his voice. "And Jet's a psychopath. Katara I care about you in a way Jet never will. He used you, I would never do that. I will do everything in my power to make you happy and that's what makes a man. Not his physical strength, not his looks, or his ego," he opened his eyes looking up at Katara. "Look into my eyes and you'll see a man, one who loves you."

Katara pushed Jet away. "Oh, Aang!" she cried, then ran forward to embrace him.

But he never felt the hug, because Jet and Katara suddenly seemed to disappear. He looked around, then noticed what seemed to be a petal from a panda lily on the ground before him. He picked it up in confusion, then his surroundings seemed to morph around him, until he was no longer kneeling outside the Jasmine Dragon, but The Southern Water Tribe.

He glanced back down at his hand to see that the petal had disappeared. His eyes widened as a thought stuck him.

"_I'm still inside my mind_," he whispered.

* * *

Katara gasped, and lifted her head slightly off of Aang's chest. Aang's hand had just slightly twitched, she walked around him to hold his hand. "Aang?" she said uncertain, staring down at his face. "Sokka!" she exclaimed, "He moved his hand for a second!"

"Really?" said Sokka moving closer with hope in his eyes.

"Aang, can you hear me?" said Katara, tears streaming down her face. She cupped his face gently. "Come back to me! You hear me? Come back to me!"

* * *

Aang hugged himself as he kneeled in the snow, he felt so cold, his stomach felt ready to hurl. He faintly heard tracks in the snow, he glanced up to see Sokka holding a bunch of scrolls.

"S-sokka," Aang said through his chattering teeth. "W-what a-are you doing?"

"Trying to come up with a plan," said Sokka. "So when you fail to learn all the elements, we have a backup plan. I mean seriously, even if you did learn all the elements, as if you could ever defeat the firelord. I don't know what the universe was thinking when it chose you to be the next Avatar! We would be all doomed if it wasn't for my backup plan."

Aang coughed. "W-what? I...I..thought you _believed_ in me?"

"Not really," said Sokka. "I only came to watch over my sister. I don't really think she believes in you either. She just wanted some way to get to The Northern Water Tribe."

Aang hung his head. Sokka was right, he was never going to be able to learn all the elements, he was a sad excuse for an Avatar.

"_Come back to me_!"

Aang jerked his head up gasping. That sounded like Katara's voice. He looked around at his surrounds again to see Sokka still standing in front of him in the snow.

Wait a minute, he was inside his mind. These were illusions of his mind, how could he have forgotten that so quickly? He must be vulnerable in his weaken state.

He began to think about how he had passed all the airbending tests, and had become one of the youngest air nomads to receive his tattoos.

Aang looked up at Sokka. "I...can do it," he said. "You don't have to worry. I love you guys, and I will do everything in my power to protect you, as a friend and the Avatar. I...I think I can end this war."

Sokka cocked his eyebrow at him. "_Are you sure_?"

Aang looked him in the eye. "_I'm sure_."

Sokka smiled down at him, then he suddenly disappeared. Aang glanced down to see a panda lily petal resting in the snow where he had been standing. Aang picked it up, as his world again morphed around him into the Southern Air Temple and the petal disappeared.

He found himself in Gyatso's room, but there were bones scattered all around, the walls were covered with cobwebs and an overwhelming sense of dread.

"How _could_ you do this to us, Aang?" he heard Gyatso's voice from behind him. Aang turned around to see Gyatso standing in front of him with his arms crossed looking stern. "How could you?" I did _everything_ for you. And this," he yelled gesturing around him, "is how you repay me? By just _abandoning_ your people!"

Aang cowardly stood in front of Gyatso's gaze. "But...I thought you said you forgive me?"

"_Forgive you_? I never would have forgiven you had I known what it was! How can I possibly forgive you for this?" Gyatso stood his head. "How do you feel no remorse? How do you not _hate_ yourself?"

Aang clutched his stomach, he gasped through his tears. "_But I do_!"

"_You should_," said Gyatso.

Aang's eyes widened upon Gyatso words, he grasped his forehead, shaking his head to clear it. "This isn't right," said Aang, "you always taught me to forgive people," he gasped. "It's my mind again, I keep forgetting, how long will it be until I stop remembering?"

Aang looked up at Gyasto smiling as tears leaked down his face. "I know you forgive me Gyatso," he said. "You taught me to forgive people, and you also taught me that one of those people I need to forgive is myself."

A smile crept onto Gyasto's face. "Very wise words, young one."

Then Gyasto disappeared replaced with a panda lily petal. Aang picked it up once again, as his world morphed around him and the petal disappeared. He found himself in the garden at the Southern Air Temple that he had shown to Katara; the garden was in full bloom.

Aang heard a joyous laugh from behind him, he turned around to come face to face with..._himself_.

"_Hi_!" exclaimed his other self. "Do you want to play air ball with me?"

"No...I," said Aang his face constricting with confusion," I have to do..._something_."

"What something?" asked his other self.

Aang grasped his forehead, his eyes wandering trying to find his track of thought. "I...I...can't quite remember."

The other self shrugged his shoulders. "It must not have been very important if you can't remember it."

"_I...I guess_?" said Aang sounding uncertain. "What are you doing?"

His other self just beamed at him. "I'm just having fun!"

"Don't you have to be the Avatar?" asked Aang. "I...I...mean we?" his eyes glossed over looking lost and scared. "_Am I_?" he said confused.

The other self frowned at him. "How could just drop all of that on us? We never asked to be the Avatar. It's not fair that we had to train while all the other nomads were playing, and they wanted to take away Gyatso. And we're still training and people are now trying to kill us!

Aang suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation of pain travel throughout his body bringing him to his knees. He bit his lip, tears cascading down his cheeks. It hurt to breath, his whole body felt so weak, even keeping his eyelids open was becoming a struggle; he just wanted to lie down in the grass and sleep.

"I know you feel weak, you're so sick," said his other self. "We don't have to worry about anything here. We can just stare up at the clouds as much as we want. They will be fine without us. You won't have to feel any more pain, no more sickness," his other self put out his hand in front of him. "Take my hand, stay with me..._forever_."


	16. Path to the Heart

**DC: I do not own A:TLA**

**Path to the Heart**

* * *

Aang stared at the hand in front of him through his tears. _No more pain? No more sickness? He wouldn't have to feel like this anymore? _He tentatively reached out his hand, inching towards his other self's hand.

"Sokka!" cried out Katara. "His breathing is becoming erratic!" she caressed Aang's cheek as she sobbed standing over him. "No! Don't give up! Don't you give up on me! You're supposed to be with me forever..._this isn't forever_!"

Just as Aang's hand was about to take his other self's hand, Aang's hand flinched away as he brought it back to his side. "_No_," he said.

His other self furrowed his eyebrows. "What's wrong?" he said. "Don't you want to feel better?"

"_No_," repeated Aang. "This won't solve anything. I can't keep feeling sorry for myself, there are people counting on me. Life will always be filled with ups and down, but that's what makes happy moments so precious. Here happiness would be empty, anything without Katara is empty," he looked his other self in the eye. "_It's not my time_."

And his other self disappeared, he automatically looked down but there was no petal. He glanced up to see Roku and the other Avatars standing in front of him in the garden.

"Well, done Aang," said Roku smiling at him. "We're now able to help you return to the present. But first you have to wake up. I have managed to bring some of your health back, but I warn you it is for a _very_ short period of time, you _must_ return to the present. I must tell you once you and your friends return to the present you and they will not remember what has passed, because it could unbalance the timelines. Your future selves will still have their memories intact, but we believe it is too dangerous for the present to know of the future."

"Really? We will forget everything?" said Aang feeling depressed about losing all the memories they had made.

"Just because you forget something here," said Roku lightly touching Aang's forehand, "doesn't mean you forget it here," he said lightly touching where Aang's heart was. "Your heart will never forget," he said. "As a wise musician will say, _even if you're lost, you can't lose the love because it's in your heart_."

"How do I wake up?" said Aang.

Roku smiled. "That is easy, just follow where your heart leads you," he then gestured towards the ground. Aang looked down to see panda lily petals in a row and where they ended stood Katara.

She smiled, her eyes glowing with happiness at him. "Aang, I've been waiting for you," she laughed wrinkling her nose. "What took you so long?" she put out her hand. "It's time to wake up sleepyhead."

Aang got up from the ground with a burst energy he hadn't felt before. "_Katara_!" he exclaimed grinning. He took her hand in an instant.

* * *

Aang slowly opened his eyes, he blinked a couple of times adjusting to the light. His body felt so heavy and worn-out. "_K-katara_?" he said through the dryness of his throat.

Katara gasped raising her head from Aang's chest as she heard her name spoken in his voice. She saw his grey eyes staring at the ceiling. She moved to kneel over him as she busted into tears of happiness. "Aang! You're awake! You're awake!" she wrapped her arms about his neck hugging him.

As she pulled away, Aang saw Sokka standing over him behind Katara. "Aang!" he said smiling. "You gave us a real scare there buddy!"

Aang stared at Katara in utter despair from his lying down position. They would forget everything? Him and Katara would go back to just being friends? Just when he finally had her love, he was going to lose it again? Katara's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Aang, is something wrong?" she said, with concern in her eyes while caressing his cheek. "Are you in pain?"

Aang stared back into her eyes, to see love for him reflected in their depths. He couldn"t tell her. Roku was right love couldn't be truly forgotten. She loved him now, and he knew it was probably always there buried within her. He would wait for her again to find it. He remembered something Katara had told him in the future, "_You will always have my heart even if you don't know it, or I don't realize it. Just know, it will be a happy ending_."

Then he heard his own voice echoing in his head. "_You'd be surprised at what you will do when you feel your time is short_." Aang's eyes set in determination; adrenaline pumped through his veins, his heart sped up from the fervor of emotions pulsing through his body. He would take this moment in time for all it's worth.

"Aang, are you oka—" Katara started to say, but the rest was lost as Aang reached and cradled the back of her head and brought it down until their lips collided into a desperate and loving kiss.

Sokka let out a strangling choke, and quickly put his hand over his eyes.

Katara's eyes went wide, but then she started to relax as her eyes fluttered close and she began to truly understand what her future self meant by the sensation of flying. It was frightening feeling not knowing if she'd come down safely, but such an exhilarating feeling, the adrenaline running through her, enhancing all her senses, just being completely swept up in the feeling his lips.  
As he pulled away, she blinked at him several times in a stupor, her eyes glossed over as she tried to catch her breath. She barely heard what Aang said next.

"We're going home," he said.

* * *

Sokka got up from the ground with dirt smudged on random parts of his face. Katara groaned as she got up into a sitting position. Aang sat up shaking head trying to get the overwhelming dizziness to go away, it was then he noticed his hand seemed to be attached to something, Katara noticed also. They both looked down at their intertwined hands. They both pulled away looking confused.

"_That was amazing_!" exclaimed General Fong.

"Are you kidding!" screamed Sokka. "You almost got us all _killed_!"

"Now all we have to do is control it," General Fong pondered aloud.

"Can someone hit his guy so I don't have to listen to his idiocy," said Sokka.

Three of General Fong's soldiers came behind him and knocked him out.

"Thank you," said Sokka.

* * *

Aang, Katara, and Sokka got done packing up their stuff, more than ready to leave the Earth Kingdom base.

Aang suddenly grasped his forehand.

"Aang, are you okay?" asked Katara.

"Yeah, just a headache," he said. "You know, I keep getting the feeling I forgot something important."

"Yeah, me too," said Katara looking as if she was trying to figure out what it was.

"Me too," said Sokka. "Well, that's weird, but I don't care if we forgot something, I just want to get out of here!"

Aang and Sokka went ahead, while Katara lingered behind them. She run a hand through her hair and noticed something was there. She tugged it out of her hair to find it was a black and white flower.

"Huh? How did that get there?" she wondered aloud. She inhaled its aroma and smiled. It probably was Aang, he was always doing thoughtful things. He probably had given it to her to say he was sorry, even though none of it was his fault. But how did he get it into her hair?

Katara shrugged her shoulders, and put it back into her hair. Then she heard her voice inside her head. But it wasn't her conscious; it was almost like a memory, which left her utterly confused. It said only one sentence from deep within her heart.

"_Yes...you do make me happy, Aang_."

The End

* * *

**Please review! Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it! :) Have a Sonny day!**


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